…just another random person's thoughts & digressions.
From ars technica:
A new Microsoft patent could head off computer frustration by using biometric feedback to detect agitation, then ask other Internet users to help the frustrated user with a task. But will people want a biometrically-enhanced Clippy peering at their heart rates?
The Cynthiana Democrat published their top-ten stories from 2007. The list, and links follow:
10. Community survey results to help to prepare for future
9. Promised funding is still a dream for MCTC
8. Main Licking tapped as primary water source
7. State pulls plug on new stadium proposal
6. Football Breds have historical success on the field
5. CPD officer numbers on decline
4. Schmidt returns, auditor report released
3. Crime stories captured many headlines in 2007
2. March trial set for Willis
1. Tragedy strikes when sisters are killed in September wreck
… delivered via rss feed of KNN’s Weird News:
U.S. scientists are examining whether they can capture the energy driving human sperm to propel nanoscale robots to deliver medicine.
By analyzing stages in the biological pathway sperm cells use to generate energy, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine researchers said they hope to recreate that process artificially to deliver medicine to targeted sites in the body, Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported.
Interesting…
Dan Sewell reports for the Associated Press:
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5i2lCt8WcnQpR4nh8yjcfEmOMJe2gD8TSGA0G1
CINCINNATI (AP) — The Cincinnati Post said goodbye with its final edition Monday — its presses stilled after 126 years.
“_30_”, a symbol traditionally used to signal the end of a dispatch, was the front-page headline in the last Cincinnati edition, about an hour before printing of its sister Kentucky Post marked the final run for the daily newspapers.
The Post and its sister Kentucky Post edition have struggled for decades, like other afternoon newspapers, in a climate that has challenged even the nation’s most storied dailies. E.W. Scripps Co., based in Cincinnati, decided in July to close The Post newspapers when a joint operating agreement with Gannett Co. expired. Joint operating agreements allow newspapers to combine business operations when one faces financial ruin.
Loyal readers in Cincinnati and the nearby northern Kentucky communities The Post had served lamented its passing.
“A piece of history has gone. Obviously a voice has gone,” said Alicia Reece, an Ohio tourism official and former Post intern who served on the Cincinnati City Council. “On the other hand, they were a foundation for a lot of writers and other people who moved into higher positions. So the legacy lives on.”
However, The Kentucky Post has not completely died. Scripps has launched a revamped kypost.com which will continue to bring news to the northern Kentucky area. As the lead story on the site currently reads,
Welcome to Kypost.com, your place for “News in the (859),” plus a whole lot more. Following in the proud tradition of The Kentucky Post newspaper, kypost.com is focused on and dedicated to Northern Kentucky.
I read the post on occasion, and am saddened to see it’s passing, but am excited to see the tradition continue on the Internet.
So, 2007 is winding down to a close–tonight is the last night of the year, and midnight will bring the dawn of the new year. I’m curious what this new year will bring. I am also curious as to what the old year will have left us.
On Wednesday night, The Cynthiana Democrat will have published and distributed the first of 2008’s fifty-two papers, and in the new year edition, they will review the top ten stories of 2007. I’m curious as to what the staff at the Democrat will say was big in ’07. Rick Chasteen will have Becky Barnes and Donald Richie on Thursday’s broadcast of Coffeebreak, and they will be discussing those stories.
One story on 2007 was published last week in the Democrat, where Donald spoke with Harrison County Judge-Executive Alex Barnett about the accomplishments that have been made during the first year of his term. In the article, advancements in joint government ventures were mentioned, as well as many cost reductions balanced with larger number of projects in the county’s road department were mentioned. The only negative report mentioned in the article was the acknowledgment of an issue with the employability of some Harrisonians:
Looking at the numbers, Barnett said while Harrison County’s unemployment rate is low – its citizens’ employability can be a problem.
The issue: drugs.
Barnett said there is a growing problem locally where employers have trouble finding help because job applicants cannot pass pre-employment drug tests.
“We need to work with addicts to treat them for their problem instead of locking them up and putting them back out” he said. “We need to work hard and treat them and help them return to being a viable part of the workforce.”
For that, Barnett has helped establish a task force on drug issues which is in its infancy. Although Barnett admits the drug problem has no easy solution, he hopes the efforts which have been started will continue past his administration and results will be seen down the road.
“I look for big things out of it,” he said. (Richie, 2007)
I expect this issue, and issues related to other criminal activity to be mentioned in the upcoming edition of the Democrat. Crime has seemingly been growing in Cynthiana, and Harrison County throughout this now passing year. Rick Chasteen noted on his radio program last Friday that there have been a growing number of domestic disputes in Cynthiana, and referenced one that took place earlier this year, behind Thrift Food Mart, that ended up in the murder of one person.
Other events that took place this year (that I recall) which may or may not be news-worthy are:
I’m sure there are many other stories that could be covered, but those are the only topics that come to mind at this time. I’m sure if I did some digging, and looked back through the archive of posts here I would uncover other stories that have some importance to the community, and how 2007 and the future of Cynthiana, Harrison County, and our citizenry have been affected.
REFERENCES
Richie, D. (2007) Judge reflects on first-year accomplishments. Retrieved December 31, 2007 from
I’ve been playing around with Yahoo! Messenger recently, and ran into the need to clear out my status history in order to allow a different status changing plugin to work properly. And, since I had a hard time finding this tool, I thought I should post an entry for it.
The tool worked like a charm. Just click the check by the name, hit edit, and clear checked. Simple as that.
ABC News reports of a police department in Ohio which is using topless women in parks to catch perverted men frequenting the areas.
read more | digg story
From ars technica:
Media player capacities are ballooning while downloadable music prices stay fixed. What’s a fan to do? A new report suggests that one third of PC users have turned to LimeWire.
It’s been a while since I’ve written anything. So, I think I’ll write something. I’ll give it a shot, anyway. Ok. Here goes…
I had a pretty good time this holiday season. Sorry. Christmas season. I don’t really care for saying holiday season, but I do anyway, out of respect for those who don’t celebrate Christmas; but this is my blog, damn it! So it’s Christmas here! :p
I received several nice gifts, and am very thankful and appreciative of every last one. I believe the two things I enjoyed the most were a bottle of English Leather and an Old Spice gift set.
I had fun at my grandmother’s yesterday. I actually interacted a bit with my cousins, which I haven’t really done in years. We kinda fell out of touch years back. Not all that surprising considering there is an age gap, and a gender difference. Theres like ten years difference between me and the eldest. (Eldest of that set. I can’t remember the ages of the cousins on the other side, and I haven’t seen them in a few years.) Anyway, one thing that touched me was something that Emily had said, in reference to years past. Emily reminded me that when we were younger that she and Sara had both looked up to me. I think the cutest thing was that Emily said she had wished to be as big and strong as I was.
I also got to receive a tarot reading while at mammaw’s. Beck had gifted Emily a set of cards, and ended up giving readings in mammaw’s bedroom. As I recall, the reading said that I have a decision which is weighing heavily on my mind, and though I wish that I could take action on the matter, I should just stick it out, and take action later, once my current mission is complete, so that I might profit better from my choice in the future. I think that’s what it said… Anyway, the consensus was that I should stay very active in school, and wait for whatever it is afterward.
I had a rather interesting experience last night, while at my parents house. My sis () asked me to try a bit of Marmite spread on some toast. I took a bite, and gagged so violently that the muscles in my neck and shoulders tensed and locked. I had to have my mother give me a massage to recover and alleviate the pain. Needless to say, I don’t care for the stuff.
In other news, I received in the mail my certificate for making Dean’s List two quarters ago. I had the option of picking it up, but never did. I guess that this past quarter’s will arrive in the mail by the end of the upcoming quarter. Oh–I failed to mention my grades in any post prior to this. 4.0 GPA for the previous, and a 3.7 GPA for this quarter past. Hooray for me. Hard to fathom by reading this silly blog, huh?
Well, I think it’s time to get back to the housework. Where we have been running around doing the family and friend thing for five days straight the house has become a complete and total disaster area. It doesn’t help that I don’t feel like doing anything else but napping either, after nearly a week’s worth of excitement.
Oh well.